[presidio9]

But since there are also a lot more Catholics in the world than there have ever been before, it stands to reason that those numbers would be somewhat offset.

[Clemenza]

Here's how it goes:

Once upon a time (our setting could be Italy in 1850 or Mexico in 1950), people lived in large families that worked the farms they owned or as migratory labor for others. Young men who wanted to escape this lifestyle and receive some education often joined the preisthood. There was also prestige for the celrgy in a largely rural peasent society.

As more people in the underdeveloped world moved to the cities, however, there were more opportunites and their outlook on life changed. The old "peasent cultures" have essentially died or are in the process of dying in Latin America, just as they are in Europe.

The Vatican better start setting up more seminaries in Africa if they want more priests.

[johnb838]

I think it's due to what I call the "ru gittin any" society that continually bombards people with the message "If you're not having sex, you don't have a life... you're nobody". An awful lot of societal problems can be traced to that.